Tostan [to 31 May 2014]
May 30, 2014
Communities march to promote parent-child interaction in Kaolack, Senegal
On May 28, 2014, the Tostan regional coordination in Kaoloack and local communities, along with the support of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Government of Senegal, organized a march in Ndoffane, a town located 30 kilometers from Kaolack, to raise awareness about early childhood development.
The event which was called ‘march of the kangaroos’ highlighted the benefits of using the ‘kangaroo method’ to carry babies, in which the baby is strapped to one’s front to promote parent-child interaction. Guests in the march included community members from Ndoffane, participants in the Reinforcement of Parental Practices (RPP) module…

Tostan @Tostan • May 29
Help spread the word about our #holistic approach to #development. Share #HLTN & our story w/ friends & family today! http://bit.ly/1kgFWzC

Tostan @Tostan • May 29
In this month’s success story, the community of Pellelmodiyadhé in #Guinea shows its entrepreneurial spirit! Here: http://bit.ly/1nZr4K2

Tostan @Tostan • May 28
Read about the partnership b/w @Tostan Guinea, the Guinean gov’t & @UNICEF to protect the lives of women & children http://bit.ly/1oKzTc0

Tostan @Tostan • May 28
Listen now: Abou Amel Camara, the National Coordinator of @Tostan Mali, explains our approach to #FGC on @RFI http://rfi.my/1oIZoKS

Women for Women International [to 31 May 2014]

Women for Women Intl @WomenforWomen • 10h
Through #WfWI, Grace was able to rebuild her life and provide for her family. Take a look at her story! http://ow.ly/xmGUl

Women for Women Intl @WomenforWomen
Is it possible 2 stop sexual and #GBV? @AmbassadorPower takes on this question along w/ others at our Annual Luncheon http://ow.ly/xmJiK

United Nations – Selected Meetings Coverage and Press Releases [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.un.org/en/unpress/

Meetings
:: Concerned over Delay of Lebanon’s Presidential Elections, Security Council Urges Parliament to Hold Ballot Immediately, Reject Outside Interference (29 May 2014)
SC/11422
:: Security Council, Adopting Resolution 2158 (2014), Extends Assistance Mission in Somalia for One Year under Broader Mandate (29 May 2014)
SC/11421
:: Adopting Resolution 2157 (2014), Security Council Extends Mandate of United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (29 May 2014)
SC/11420
:: Success of Sanctions Regimes in Defeating Terrorism, Staunching Flow of Weapons Depends on Resolute, Concerted Action, Security Council Told (28 May 2014)
SC/11416
:: Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations, Concluding Review of Applications, Recommends Two Groups for Consultative Status (28 May 2014)
ECOSOC/6619-NGO/794
:: Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations Grants Consultative Status to 10 More Candidates (27 May 2014)
ECOSOC/6616-NGO/793
:: Security Council, Adopting Resolution 2155 (2014), Extends Mandate of Mission in South Sudan, Bolstering Its Strength to Quell Surging Violence (27 May 2014)
SC/11414

Press Releases
:: Sharing His Family’s Experience, Secretary-General Urges Health Summit to Strive for Zero Preventable Maternal, Child Deaths (30 May 2014)
SG/SM/15892-POP/1031-WOM/1990
:: ‘I Count on Your Leadership’ towards Peaceful, Sustainable World, Secretary-General Tells Non-Aligned Movement in Video Message (29 May 2014)
SG/SM/15890
:: Secretary-General, in Video Message, Says International Law Must Hold Perpetrators Accountable for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence (29 May 2014)
SG/SM/15891-WOM/1989
:: On International Day, Secretary-General Applauds Courage of 120,000 Peacekeepers Now Deployed in Most Dangerous Places on Earth (29 May 2014)
SG/SM/15887-OBV/1337-PKO/407
:: Welcoming Strengthened Protection Mandate in South Sudan, Secretary-General Reiterates Call for Additional Uniformed Personnel (27 May 2014)
SG/SM/15886-AFR/2903-PKO/406
:: Overcoming Problems in Cities Calls for Hard Look at Inequality, Secretary-General Says, as Economic and Social Council Begins Integration Segment (27 May 2014)
SG/SM/15885-ECOSOC/6617-ENV/DEV/1432

UNICEF [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.unicef.org/media/media_71508.html

Media Releases [selected]
UNICEF, UNFPA stand behind Africa’s biggest anti child marriage push
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, 29 May 2014 – UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) welcomed the first African Union campaign to end child marriage launched in Addis Ababa today.

Preventing newborn deaths must be a global priority: UNICEF
TORONTO, 29 May 2014 – Every minute, 10 babies die or are stillborn across the world, a staggering 5.5 million lives ended every year just as they start. The majority of those deaths are from preventable causes, including prematurity, childbirth complications and newborn infections.

UNICEF and Socialab announce winners of “First 72 Hours” – a global innovation challenge for emergencies
NEW YORK/SANTIAGO, Chile, 27 May 2014 – UNICEF and Socialab, a leading Chilean innovation non-profit, today announced the winners of a four–month-long innovation challenge aimed at creating new solutions for people hit by disasters.

Ending violence against children: Translating data into action
MBABANE, Swaziland, 26 May 2014 – Ways to translate data on violence against boys and girls into concrete measures to stop it will be discussed at a global meeting to be held in the capital of Swaziland, 28-30 May 2014.

UNHCR [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/hom

Refugee cancer patients go untreated for lack of funds, warns the UN Refugee Agency
Press Releases, 26 May 2014
Excerpt
The number of refugees with cancer is overwhelming health systems in Jordan and Syria, the UN Refugee Agency’s top medical expert has warned, forcing UNHCR offices and partners to make agonising decisions over who does and doesn’t receive care.
In a new study published today (Sunday 25 May) in The Lancet Oncology, Dr Paul Spiegel documented hundreds of refugees in Jordan and Syria denied cancer treatment due to limited funds, and called for urgent new steps to tackle cancer in humanitarian crises.
“We can treat everyone with measles, but we can’t treat everyone with cancer,” says Dr Spiegel. “We have to turn away cancer patients with poor prognoses because caring for them is too expensive. After losing everything at home, cancer patients face even greater suffering abroad – often at a huge emotional and financial cost to their families.”
The Lancet Oncology study – which looked at refugees in Jordan and Syria from 2009-2012 – says the number of documented refugee cancer cases in the region have risen because there are more refugees overall, and because more people are fleeing middle income countries like Syria. Cancer is also a growing issue amongst refugees from low-income countries, where the focus had traditionally been on infectious diseases and malnutrition…

UNOCHA [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.unocha.org/

Press Releases
30 May 2014
Philippines: Philippines: Region VI (Western Visayas): Food security and Agriculture and Early Recovery & Livelihoods clusters ongoing response activities cluster in Iloilo province as of 23 May 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Philippines

30 May 2014
Philippines: Philippines: Region VI (Western Visayas): Ongoing Response Activities of Shelter Cluster in Iloilo province, as of 23 May 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Philippines

30 May 2014
Philippines: Philippines: Region VI (Western Visayas): Summary of completed Response activities in Iloilo Province as of 23 May 2014
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Philippines

29 May 2014
Syrian Arab Republic: Note to Correspondents: ASG Kang briefed Security Council on Syria
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Syrian Arab Republic Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kyung-wha Kang, briefed members of the Security Council today on the situation in Syria. ASG Kang noted with deep regret that, three months since Security Council resolution 2139 was passed, it has not delivered what it intended. She said that violence continues relentlessly, killing and maiming women,…

29 May 2014
Serbia: Serbia: Floods – Situation (as of 28 May 2014)
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, MapAction Country: Serbia Situation in most affected areas as of 28 May: Stagnation is expected on the Rivers Danube and Sava . Several cities and municipalities continue to be severely affected. Critical infrastructure compromised, including industrial sites near river and excavation mines. Numerous landslides, causing damage to buildings, roads and critical infra structure. Many road closures. Threat of further landslides….

28 May 2014
Solomon Islands: United Nations releases $1.8 million to support life-saving activities in flood-affected Solomon Islands
Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Country: Solomon Islands (Suva, 29 May 2014): The United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has released US$1.8 million (SBD 13.1 million) to provide critical humanitarian support to flood-affected people in the Solomon Islands. The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will use the funds to deliver life-saving activities, including health, nutrition,…

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos Statement on Syria – 25 May 2014

Darfur: New Humanitarian Needs and Aid Delivery Fact Sheet, 25 May 2014

Latest Map
Sudan: Sudan: Displacement in Darfur since late February 2014 (26 May 2014)

WHO & Regionals [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.who.int/en/

WHO/Europe responds to Balkan floods
27-05-2014
Since 13 May 2014, communities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia have been severely affected by floods.
Due to the scale, urgency, complexity and context of the flooding, WHO has categorized the event as a Grade 2 emergency according to the Emergency Response Framework.
A lack of safe drinking water and the displacement of communities increasing the risk of communicable disease outbreaks, and greater numbers of mosquitoes due to standing water and rising temperatures, are particular health concerns.
In response, WHO/Europe’s support to the countries and communities affected includes:
:: the provision of emergency health kits with medicines and supplies to cover the health needs of 90 000 people for 1 month, as well as water purification equipment and water tanks, shipped from United Nations response depots with financial support from Italy, Norway and the Russian Federation;
:: public health advice for the general public on the health effects of the floods and appropriate preventive measures, developed jointly by the ministries of health in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia and WHO, and provided to affected communities through leaflets distributed in local languages;
:: continuing in-depth health needs assessments, despite limited access to some of the affected areas due to damaged bridges and roads; and
:: support for post-disaster needs assessments, to be conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, with expertise mobilized from WHO/Europe and WHO headquarters to address the health sector needs.

UNDP United Nations Development Programme [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/presscenter.html

29 May 2014
Helen Clark reiterates support for Chernobyl assistance strategy
UNDP Administrator Helen Clark commended Belarus for the progress made on the recovery from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster during her four–day trip to Belarus which includes a visit today to Homiel, a region of Belarus most affected by the nuclear disaster.

29 May 2014
Strengthening rule of law key to ending crises in CAR and South Sudan
The head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has called on international donors to bolster justice, security and rule of law for countries in conflict, singling out both South Sudan and the Central African Republic (CAR) for immediate attention.

27 May 2014
Helen Clark: Speech at the Annual UNDP Meeting on Strengthening the Rule of Law
United Nations, New York

UN Women [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.unwomen.org/

In Rwanda, Executive Director gains insight into greenhouse agriculture Kinazi, Rwanda
Posted on May 30, 2014
UN Women partners with Terimbere Mutegarugori, a cooperative bringing together 93 women from various backgrounds to enable them to financially support themselves and their families. This group is just one of 11 cooperatives that are supported through the Imali Project, meaning “wealth.” Currently, the groups are being given seed money and training in income-generating activities, particularly the increase of tomato and mushroom production.

Remarks by John Hendra at a side event on “Gender equality, women’s empowerment and the realization of youth rights: opportunities for the new urban agenda”
Posted on May 30, 2014
Remarks by John Hendra, UN Women Deputy Executive Director Policy and Programme, at a side event on “Gender equality, women’s empowerment and the realization of youth rights: opportunities for the new urban agenda”, organized by the ECOSOC Integration Segment: Sustainable Urbanisation, New York, 28 May 2014.

Speech by Lakshmi Puri at an International Meeting ahead of the G77 Summit
Posted on May 29, 2014
Keynote address by UN Women Deputy Executive Director Lakshmi Puri at the International Meeting ahead of the G77 Summit: “Women’s Proposals for a New World Order”, in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, 29 May 2014.

Statement by UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on the “Honour Killing” of Farzana Parveen in Lahore, Pakistan
Posted on May 29, 2014
In a statement on the “Honour Killing” of Farzana Parveen in Lahore, Pakistan, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka calls for justice for this crime that is “utterly without honour”.

Joint Press Statement on peace and stability in the Central African Republic
Posted on May 27, 2014
UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, AU Special Envoy for Women, Peace and Security, Bineta Diop and the ECCAS Special Representative in the Central African Republic (CAR), emphasize that women’s rights, participation and leadership are vital to peace and stability in the CAR.

UNFPA United Nations Population Fund [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.unfpa.org/public/

UNFPA News
30 May 2014 – Dispatch
Somali midwifery school helps tackle harsh conditions for women
MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somalia is one of the worst places in the world to be a woman, especially a pregnant woman. According to recent statistics, one in 18 Somali women die from complications of pregnancy or childbirth – one of the highest lifetime risks of maternal death in the world. But the new Mogadishu Midwifery School, in the Xamar Jajab District of Mogadishu, aims turn this situation around.

28 May 2014 – Dispatch
Myanmar’s “red angel” midwives bring care to displaced women in Rakhine
YANGON, Myanmar – Twenty-three-year-old Ma Thae Ei Phyu is one of five “red angel” midwives to participate in a recent UNFPA-supported intensive training programme at a maternity ward on the outskirts of the Myanmar capital, Yangon. The programme prepared the red angels – named for their red ‘longyi’ garments – to carry out life-saving work in camps for internally displaced people (IDPs) in the Sittwe and Myebon townships of Rakhine State.

27 May 2014 – Dispatch
In Nigeria, fight against fistula points to problem of early marriage
ABUJA, Nigeria – Since her marriage at age 14, Zuera Mustapha, now 21, has experienced two stillbirths and a recurrent obstetric fistula. Yet even with these hardships, she has been luckier than some; her mother and sister both died of complications in childbirth. In northern Nigeria, where she lives, fistula and maternal death are alarmingly common – a fact UNFPA is working to change.

UNESCO [to 31 May 2014]
http://en.unesco.org/
1 Jun 2014
:: “Cities are motors of dynamism, growth, innovation and living together”
:: “Synergies for sustainability,” Director-General in Singapore
30 May 2014
:: UNESCO fine-tunes its programme of action for Africa
28 May 2014
:: UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, salutes the memory of Maya Angelou, “a immense poet of equality.”
:: UNESCO to create an Observatory for the Safeguarding of Syria’s Cultural Heritage
:: UNESCO Director-General calls for the protection of all religious heritage in Syria, after the destruction of historical synagogue in Damascus
:: Irina Bokova highlights the importance of strengthening coordination of UNESCO’s work in Latin America and the Caribbean
27 May 2014
:: Africa’s minds: Equipping girls with science to drive change
:: New biosphere reserves to be designated at MAB meeting in Sweden
:: Uniting for quality education
:: The UN Development Group launches consultations on culture and development for post-2015 implementation
:: Francisco d’Almeida: “Culture is a resource for development in Africa”
:: Irina Bokova: “Respect for cultural diversity is the only way to be universal”

FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization) [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.fao.org/home/en/

FAO and Chinese partners working to unlock carbon finance for herders and grazers
A new FAO methodology can help channel international climate change funding to grasslands restoration, trapping atmospheric carbon and improving livelihoods
30-05-2014

EXPO Milan 2015 and November nutrition conference to galvanize action on food security
FAO Director-General says upcoming hunger and nutrition events in Italy of “paramount importance” in tackling urgent challenges.
29-05-2014

UNCTAD [to 31 May 2014]
http://unctad.org/en/Pages/Home.aspx

The world needs a ‘transformative agenda’ to promote prosperity for all, UNCTAD secretary-general tells Astana forum
UNCTAD/PRESS/IN/2014/004
Geneva, Switzerland, (27 May 2014)
Excerpt
The need for a transformative global agenda to ensure a prosperous and stable future for humanity was underscored by UNCTAD Secretary-General Mukhisa Kituyi at an international forum on global economics held in Astana, Kazakhstan on 22 May 2014.
Moderating a panel discussion at the Seventh Astana Economic Forum, Dr. Kituyi brought together eminent discussants, including former Prime Minister of Italy and tenth President of the European Commission Romano Prodi and Nobel Prize-winning economist Christopher Pissarides, to reflect on UNCTAD’s fiftieth anniversary and its continuing goal to realize prosperity for all.
“When we look at the development framework for after 2015 … we are talking about an agenda that is transformative. By this we mean an agenda that addresses the need for development that is economically, socially and environmentally sustainable,” Dr. Kituyi said in opening remarks at the panel, which was held under the title “Transformation for Prosperity? Fifty Years of Continuity and Change”.
“This agenda needs to create conditions that will allow more countries to achieve the kind of ‘virtuous circles’ of productive investment, rising incomes, poverty reduction and expanding markets that bring about lasting economic and social transformation,” Dr. Kituyi said…

CBD (Convention of Biological Diversity) [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.cbd.int/

Guiana Shield Action Plan to Facilitate Biodiversity Corridors, Achieve Aichi Targets
To avoid landscape fragmentation and loss of species and habitats for biodiversity, participants to a three-day workshop in Kurupukari, Guyana, have agreed on a Regional Action Plan related to biological corridors, connectivity conservation and trans-boundary conservation within the Guiana Shield Ecoregion.

USAID [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.usaid.gov/

Press Releases
USAID Administrator Shah Travels to Toronto for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Summit
May 28, 2014
ON FRIDAY, May 30, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Rajiv Shah will travel to Toronto, Canada, to participate in a global summit on maternal, newborn, and child health, hosted by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The summit will bring together global leaders to discuss how to reduce preventable deaths associated with pregnancy, child birth, and the first 5 years of life in the developing world. Shah will discuss USAID’s high-impact, evidence-based interventions that help save the lives of 6 million children under the age of 5 each year.

U.S. Government, Althelia Climate Fund Mobilize $133.8 Million for Forest Conservation and Alternative Livelihoods
May 28, 2014
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today its support for the Althelia Climate Fund to lend up to $133.8 million in commercial financing for forest conservation and sustainable land use, helping to remove 100 million tons of carbon—the equivalent of 18.5 million cars—from our atmosphere.

DFID [to 31 May 2014]
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-international-development

Press release
29 May 2014
UK demands tougher action in UNSC on Syria
UK stepping up efforts to ensure Syrian people receive aid they desperately need.

ECHO [to 31 May 2014]
http://ec.europa.eu/echo/index_en.htm

EU deploys expert team to Georgia following landslide
26/05/2014 – Following a request for assistance from the Government of Georgia, the European Commission has activated the EU Civil Protection Mechanism to respond to the landslide which occurred on 17 May.

OECD [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.oecd.org/

27 May 2014
More efforts needed to tackle rising obesity, says OECD
Most people in OECD countries are overweight or obese. The social and economic consequences of this epidemic are dramatic, exposing an increasing number of people to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

World Trade Organisation [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news13_e/news13_e.htm

28 May 2014
Seven universities added to WTO Chairs Programme
The WTO has announced the addition of seven academic institutions —in Benin, Brazil, Indonesia, Oman, South Africa, Tunisia and Turkey — to its roster of schools participating in the WTO Chairs Programme.

27 May 2014
Yemen to become 160th WTO member
Yemen deposited its “Instrument of Acceptance” on 27 May 2014 with Director-General Roberto Azevêdo, confirming its membership terms. According to WTO rules, Yemen will become a full-fledged member on 26 June 2014.

IMF [to 31 May 2014]
http://www.imf.org/external/index.htm

Maputo Joint Declaration Africa Rising: A Shared Vision For Sustained Growth And Prosperity
Press Release No. 14/251
May 30, 2014
Excerpt
Meeting in Maputo on May 29-30, 2014, Finance Ministers and Governors from sub-Saharan Africa and the IMF took stock of sub-Saharan Africa’s impressive achievements over the past two decades, its increased resilience to shocks and economic policy challenges for sustaining growth and development. An increasing number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa have registered strong economic performance, reflecting skillful macroeconomic policymaking, stronger institutions, increased aid, and higher investment in both human and physical capital. But in many countries, the benefits of this growth are not well-shared, there remain wide infrastructure gaps, and job creation falls short of expectations. The drive towards structural transformation and diversification, combined with a young, dynamic population, offers an opportunity to accelerate progress with poverty reduction, inclusive growth and job creation.
African Ministers and Governors and the IMF Managing Director agreed to further strengthen the partnership between the Fund and its African membership and respond to the evolving needs of the sub-continent. Policy dialogue and capacity building will reflect the ambitious agenda aimed at: upholding macroeconomic stability with policy actions designed to foster structural transformation and sustain strong and inclusive growth; overcoming fragility; ensuring adequate financing for Africa’s development; and building institutional capacity, including in human resources. The engagement will take into account the different needs of the African membership, ranging from countries facing challenges of fragility and conflict, to middle-income and emerging market economies…

Keynote Address: Africa Rising—Building to the Future
by Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund
Maputo, May 29, 2014